What is the Heritage Project?

The Heritage Project teaches young people to care about the place they live, including both the natural and the cultural environment. The method is to take community seriously by making it the subject of serious study. Students are invited to think deeply and clearly about the world around them as they explore the place they live: its relationship to the natural environment, its connections to national and world events, and the many cultural beliefs and practices that shape its unique character.

Asking questions

Students have researched questions such as these: What effect did the
coming of television have upon life in Chester? How has ranching culture
in Harlowton changed over the past 100 years? How did changes in the
national economy affect the coal mining industry in Roundup? How did
people in Libby respond to the influx of people during the construction
of Libby Dam? How did World War II affect women in Townsend?

Researching the world as it exists locally

Thinking as detectives, journalists, folklorists, scientists, and
historians, students search for clues in brittle old newspapers, fading
photographs, and changed landscapes. They locate information in
government and business archives. They examine historic buildings,
community celebrations, and old letters for insight into what what
changes, what stays the same, and why.

Thinking

Reflecting on what has been found—analyzing it, fitting it into
existing knowledge, testing it, playing with it, and discussing it with
others—students move from facts toward knowledge. What do the loggers
of the 1920s have to teach Libby students about today's struggles? How
did people in Harlowton respond when the Milwaukee Road closed down? How
did the Salish in St. Ignatius deal with the influx of settlers when the
Flathead Reservation was opened to homesteaders in 1910?

Giving gifts of scholarship

Every
Heritage Project culminates in tangible scholarly products that are
preserved in the Montana Historical Society archives as well as in local
school and museum collections. Most projects feature a public event to
invite the community to share what has been learned.

About the Heritage Project

The Montana Heritage Project is a teaching order—a group of classroom teachers from across the state who work together within a shared framework of principles that guide their work.

The Project was established in 1995 through the
leadership of the Library of Congress and the financial commitment of the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg
Foundation. When the grant money ran out, the classroom teachers decided the Project was too effective and too important to allow it to fade away, so they continued the work on their own. The Project has drawn praise from the U.S. Secretary of Education as well as support from the Montana Historical Society, the Montana Committee for the Humanities, the Montana Arts Council, the Office of Public Instruction and the Office of the Governor.

Make a donation

Today, the teachers depend upon contributions to continue the work. They are organized as a 501(c)3. If your circumstances permit, please consider providing some support.

What happened here100 years ago?

During the coming school year, Heritage Project teachers will continue their Expedition to 1910
leading to a book of student writing about life in 1910 throughout the state.

Your students can write a chapter in our new book: Montana: 100 Years Ago

This was truly a transformative year in American and Montana history, and you will be astonished at the rich materials you can find about
your town. It's a great way to get acquainted with the magic of local history research and writing.

Get our Teachers' Packet to help get involved! Watch this site
for more information.

You can visit our online
Heritage Store right now to get a slide presentation introducing this time
period.